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Friday, May 05, 2006

Cinco De Mayo

No it’s not Mexican Independence Day. It has something to do with some battle in Puebla Mexico. It’s just another reason for us Americans to go out and party. Or maybe it’s a marketing scam. I don’t know. Anyway, the only reason I’m bringing this up is because my last name is common with the date. So to me, I feel as if the day is for me. Selfish thinking?

Anyway, I was busy all day. I didn’t go out on mission and I still got screwed. T-Rex got stuck on guard duty so I had to take the truck to the motor pool for maintance. The minute I got to the Humvee I noticed that the driver’s side windshield was cracked. I wonder where that came from I thought. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to change out the windshield. I didn’t feel like working. I’d rather stay in my room and clean my .50 cal. Anyway, I was hoping to find T-Rex on duty to ask him about the windshield. I found him walking to breakfast so I stopped and had him jump in the truck. I asked about it and he said some rock flew and hit the windshield and cracked it. He also mentioned the brakes, which I already knew about. I was hoping they wouldn’t say anything at the motor pool when it got inspected.Well, the Lieutenant saw my Humvee when I was in the motor pool. He asked what happened and I told him that we got shot at. I was just kidding. It wasn’t impairing the driver’s side vision so I was hoping he wouldn’t say anything. “You need to change it.” He said. Damn! Not the words I wanted to hear. I was looking more for don’t worry about it. Wishful thinking.

Well, that wasn’t the only thing. There was the issue of the brakes as well. They rear brakes were worn and they had to get changed. I didn’t want to change them and I didn’t want to sit around waiting for them to do it. I was hoping that they wouldn’t find out about it during the inspection. Well guess what? They found out about the brakes. Darn. “Do they have to be changed now?” I asked. “Yep. They’re at the minimum level right now. We can’t let you go out like that.” I thought I would have to do the work but they said that they’d do it. Great. I’d just have to sit around and wait.

So, besides removing the parts to change out the windshield and fixing other stuff while getting the brakes fixed, I spent the whole day in the motor pool. I fixed the passenger side mirror, replaced the windshield wiper hose, cleaned the AC air intake vent, cleaned the interior, and hooked up a draining hose for the ice chest. Now I’ll be able to drain the ice chest without pulling it out of the Humvee every other day. At least everything on the truck is fixed now. We shouldn’t have any problems, for a while that is.

Oh one last thing. I wanted to post this because I love what this judge said in the courtroom yesterday at the end of the Moussaoui trial."Mr. Moussaoui, you came here to be a martyr in a great big bang of glory," she said, "but to paraphrase the poet T.S. Eliot, instead you will die with a whimper."

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The NCO Creed
No one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of soldiers. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as "The Backbone of the Army". I am proud of the Corps of Noncommissioned Officers and will at all times conduct myself so as to bring credit upon the Corps, the Military Service and my country regardless of the situation in which I find myself. I will not use my grade or position to attain pleasure, profit, or personal safety.
Competence is my watchword. My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind -- accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers. I will strive to remain tactically and technically proficient. I am aware of my role as a Noncommissioned Officer. I will fulfill my responsibilities inherent in that role. All soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership. I know my soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own. I will communicate consistently with my soldiers and never leave them uninformed. I will be fair and impartial when recommending both rewards and punishment.
Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine. I will earn their respect and confidence as well as that of my soldiers. I will be loyal to those with whom I serve; seniors, peers, and subordinates alike. I will exercise initiative by taking appropriate action in the absence of orders. I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage. I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget that we are professionals, Noncommissioned Officers, leaders!

If you've ever seen the movie Scent of a Woman starring Al Pacino you've might have heard his character, Army Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade say Hoo-ah a lot. It's a word we use in the Army all the time. Below is the definition.